Review of City of Toronto Golf Courses

This extension allowed time for a third-party review of golf course operations to inform the sourcing strategy for an operator for the 2024 season and to assess the impact and results of increased golf play through 2020 and 2021. The City's operating model has faced a number of challenging trends in recent history, including decreasing rates of play and escalating costs. However, these trends shifted in 2020 as Torontonians navigated the COVID-19 pandemic with a heightened interest in outdoor recreation options. This upward trend in golf rates of play was experienced across the country, and reinvigorated interest in the sport. The impact of COVID-19 also generated discussion regarding how the City's green spaces could best serve Torontonians. The review was expanded to determine how, in the context of changing trends and public needs, to achieve optimal management and continue to deliver affordable and high-quality experiences in a financially sustainable manner. Parks, Forestry and Recreation established the following project goals to guide the review: - Continue to provide access to high-quality and affordable golf in the city; - Improve golf-related amenities (clubhouses, food and beverage offerings, customer service, etc.; - Ensure responsible environmental stewardship and management of the sites; - Advance the parkland and recreational needs of non-golfers with innovative programming, shared use arrangements, and increased access to these spaces where possible; - Advance a winter use strategy to improve access and activation during non-golf season; - Maintain a sustainable and financially responsible model; - Balance multiple and competing desired uses. Strategic adjustments to the operating model were identified to improve user experience and operational performance while maintaining City stewardship of the course lands. The review recommends that the City advance an improved status quo model (hybrid model) whereby the City retains responsibility for site maintenance and Council approval of green fees, while a single contractor operates the golf, pro shop, and food and beverage offerings. The recommended hybrid model enables a shared approach to risk mitigation and revenue generation, with the City controlling the aspects of greatest importance to environmental management, park stewardship, and public access and accessibility. This hybrid model allows Parks, Forestry and Recreation to focus on the operational elements where staff has expertise and experience, while providing safeguards for access, affordability, and financial sustainability. Conversely, the model leverages private sector industry knowledge and expertise to deliver golf operations, improved and flexible programming, and food and beverage at the sites. To advance these findings, this report recommends proceeding with a negotiated request for proposals process for the five City operated courses. This process would allow Parks, Forestry and Recreation to define the desired objectives and outcomes for the golf program in line with the review and allow the market to provide input into the optimal contractual arrangement to achieve them. To address Council's direction to explore alternative and complimentary use potential at the courses, significant analysis and public engagement was completed. The policy and regulatory framework applying to the courses, the Division's strategic plans and objectives, the analysis of each course from the perspectives of "Play", "Place", and "People", and community engagement insights inform the recommendations of this report. Of the alternative and complementary uses explored, some opportunities can be implemented across all five of the courses, some opportunities are course-specific, and a strategic opportunity has been identified at Dentonia Park. The following opportunities should be advanced at all of the courses: - Maintaining and improving golf play; - Enhancing environmental stewardship; - Supporting public access; - Growing the urban forest; - Restoring natural areas; - Identifying opportunities for Indigenous placekeeping, cultural practices, and/or economic opportunities; - Identifying opportunities for improved ravine access and trail connections; - Expanding complementary programming. While there are opportunities to build on current work to improve public access to all the sites without impacting golf play, such as through increased off-season/winter access, Dentonia Park is identified as a unique opportunity to renew the golf offering while also addressing local parkland needs. This report recommends initiating a master planning process at Dentonia Park to better achieve golf outcomes and Parks, Forestry and Recreation strategic goals. Dentonia Park would continue to operate as an 18-hole par-3 course until the master plan is completed and budget is identified to advance any suggested alterations. Following the completion of the master planning process, Dentonia Park would be redeveloped to deliver an improved golf offering and new local parkland. The golf offering on the site would be more intentionally designed to deliver learn-the-game and skills development opportunities. Preliminary analysis, confirmed with input from the golf industry, is that a nine-hole par-3 golf course with improved practice amenities would deliver improved golf outcomes. It is anticipated that through this redevelopment the City would better serve golfers and local residents. Staff will advance the negotiated request for proposals as soon as possible in order to ensure that an operator is secured prior to the current contract period's end. It is critical that the City secure a stable operating arrangement in order to maintain access to high-quality and affordable golf and to advance broader project goals and strategic objectives. Discussions with the golf industry have also underlined the importance of bringing certainty to the operations of these important assets. As such, it is anticipated that the negotiated request for proposals will be released in the second quarter of 2022. The specific contractual terms and contract duration are subject to negotiation and flexibility, and will be built out as part of the negotiated request for proposals process. With the contracts set to end in 2023, advancing the negotiated request for proposals is required to ensure continuous service while optimizing opportunities for the use of public assets.

2. City Council authorize the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to apply the Welcome Policy towards Junior Memberships at City operated golf courses. 3. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to negotiate and execute agreements with relevant golf governing bodies and associations and not-for-profit organizations to deliver high-quality programming to expand access to the sport, on terms satisfactory to the General Manager, Parks Forestry and Recreation and in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor. 4. City Council direct the General Manager, Parks, Forestry and Recreation to initiate a master planning process for the future of Dentonia Park Golf Course, in consultation with Transportation Services, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, local stakeholders, Indigenous communities, golfers, vendors and area Councillors, among others, that reimagines an improved golf offering and increases parkland availability to the public, and to report back to City Council when completed.